[Attempted suicide and previous contact with health system]. / Demanda de asistencia previa al intento de suicidio.

INTRODUCTION: Suicide behavior is an important health problem. Several works found have reported that the majority of completed suicides visited to the general practitioner in previous days. METHOD: 219 suicide attempts attended in a General Hospital were asked about their previous contact with health system. RESULTS: The third part of the patients have visited the general practitioner in the previous month. 60% of the patients with personal antecedents of psychiatric diseases have visited to mental services in the previous month. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to find risk suicide markers that allow identifying these patients in primary attention. The increment of the consultation periodicity is proposed as efficient risk suicide marker.